The field of the present invention is devices to aide the handicapped.
With goals of increased efficiency and independence, individuals have attempted to design attachments for wheelchairs and similar apparatus. As the number of wheelchair users continues to increase among students, office workers, and active homemakers, a need for an attachment functioning as a desk and storage compartment for transporting materials has arisen. However, despite the present need, marketable attachments which function as both a desk and storage area are not available.
Society's attitude toward the handicapped is changing. This change is partially manifested in laws requiring the availability of apparatus providing the handicapped with convenient access to buildings and other facilities, but the average individual still cannot appreciate the difficulties confronting a wheelchair user trying to find a functional work station. Because desks must be specially designed, the wheelchair user cannot find a desk in every location in which the individual must work.
The prior art has provided apparatus which attach to wheelchair frames and function as desk tops. However, because these apparatus are bulky, flimsy, or difficult to attach and detach, they are impractical for everyday use. Many of the devices cannot be moved to a non-operative position by the wheelchair user alone. Thus, the individual must have assistance to get in and out of the wheelchair, and the independence of the individual is, therefore, impeded. Other devices are unduly complicated. They tilt and slide in and out making them undesirable for many wheelchair users. Further, many attachments require that modifications be made to the wheelchair before mounting the attachment. Also, the only storage space provided for transporting materials is the surface area of the tray top, and no means is provided to keep the materials on the tray top while the wheelchair is moving. The handicapped individual cannot power the wheelchair with one hand while holding the materials with the other. The prior art solves this problem by mounting an independent storage attachment to the wheelchair. Though this solution solves the material transportation problem, it adds unnecessary bulk to the wheelchair, and the storage space is not conveniently located.